Novak Djokovic has opened up on his white bottle that has become a significant talking point at the Australian Open.
During his latest campaign at Melbourne Park, much scrutiny has been placed on the Serb’s troublesome hamstring, which seemed to hamper him throughout his opening rounds. But his white water bottles - featuring an attached note - have also raised some eyebrows amid accusations of a rule break.
A video emerged on social media from the world No.5's match against Enzo Couacaud in the second round in Melbourne. The clip shows a member of Djokovic's team suspiciously passing a bottle to a tournament official, who then handed it to the Serb during a changeover.
Following his quarter-final victory over Andrey Rublev, Djokovic explained that the bottles belong to an Austrian company called Waterdrop, in whom the Serb has invested. “All the bottles I use here are Waterdrop’s,” he confirmed. “I thank the Australian Open because they allowed me to use them even though other companies sponsor the tournament, so that’s why you don’t see Waterdrop’s logo.
“Their bottles are huge, one litre and a half. I can barely carry them. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but other people carry that bag with those bottles for me. So every time the supervisor brings me the bottle, he says: ‘Here are your gold bars!'” He did not disclose the contents inside the bottle, however.
Just a day after fans were kicked out of the arena for waving Russian flags donning Vladimir Putin’s face, Djokovic’s father Srdjan has been criticised after posing with a group of supporters at the Australian Open. A clip featuring Russian supporters shows them chanting Putin's name, whilst also parading their flag.
Mr Djokovic then appears in the video celebrating with a pro-Putin supporter who is sporting the banned military 'Z' symbol on his chest, before the father of the nine-time champion allegedly comments: "Long live Russia."
Players from both Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete in Melbourne under a neutral flag but national symbols are forbidden following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February.
At least one flag, held by a man wearing a T-shirt with the pro-war Z symbol, included the picture of Russian president Vladimir Putin during Djokovic's quarter-final clash. The chant “Serbia, Russia” could also be heard.
A Tennis Australia statement read: “Four people in the crowd leaving the stadium revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened security guards. Victoria Police intervened and are continuing to question them. The comfort and safety of everyone is our priority and we work closely with security and authorities.”
Djokovic will be action again on Friday against America's Tommy Paul for a spot in the Australian Open final.
